Camp Wrap-Up + 50 Years + BlogHer

While everyone else is writing their BlogHer wrap-up posts today, I’m going to write my camp wrap-up for 2009. I could have attended BlogHer this year… except that the reason we left camp early this year was to attend my husband’s grandparents’ 50th anniversary party. Look for a note about that at the bottom.

Obviously, we’re home. I think we’re still kind of exhausted as it is 8:16am and LittleBrother is still snoozing soundly in his bed. We’re trying to make up for lost sleep. I am, however, in a great mood despite the fact that it is Monday morning. I feel like I can conquer the world. Or, at the very least, my (very long) to-do list for the day. I feel refreshed, revived and ready to face what awaits me.

That feeling comes from eight days of technology-less-less, much reading, a lot of nature, time with God and the true joy of being with my family. Sure, we grate each others’ nerves at times but, really, it’s a joy to get to spend that much time with family. In the midst of it all, we learned that my mother received a glowing review after her four week checkup post surgery: her surgeon doesn’t even want to see her for a year. Relief washed over us all.

That’s not to say that it was all easy. There was the ER trip. It was also cold and rainy for a majority of the time, forcing us to stay inside more than either I or the boys would have preferred. Due to that, I didn’t get to spend as much time as I had hoped with my camp friends. I’m sure the ones with children understand but I can only hope and pray that those without kids yet will someday have a similar camp experience and say, “Oh! I get it now.” And then there was the six o’clock hour. I don’t know why but at six o’clock, every single day, BigBrother melted. He just melted. His normal happy personality became mean and nasty and it was a fight, every single day, to figure out how best to distract him while we were bathing, getting ready for evening service and trying to remind him that the walls were paper thin. No avail. Six o’clock was an hour we dreaded.

But those negative things aside, this may very well have been my favorite campmeeting ever. It would have been just a bit better if FireDad could have stayed with us for a longer period of time but that will be remedied next year when he accrues more vacation time on his five year anniversary date with the fire department. When I really stop to think, the good moments far outweighed the bad moments. And if I could erase all memories of the six o’clock hour, it would seem darn near perfect.

As evidenced by this collage:

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I was sad when we had to leave, tearing up as usual. BigBrother put it best at one point late in the week when I talked about going home. He said, and I quote, “I want to stay here forever and ever.” He was pretty upset when we left, playing twenty (million) questions about when we were going back. When I explained that we wouldn’t be going back until he was four, he said, “So, in No-member?” (He has a November birthday.) It’s hard to explain a year to a three and a half year old.

All the same, we got home, got changed and beat feat to FireDad’s grandparents’ 50th Anniversary party. It was a lovely affair for many reasons. First off, the wait staff recognized that we had two little boys and got them food even before the lovely couple arrived. Secondly, the aforementioned lovely couple seemed genuinely happy with the party. Third, it’s just nice to see two people in love, even if they’re gruff about it (ahem, Gramps), after 50 years. I’d show you how he wiped icing on her nose but I’d like to live to celebrate my 50th anniversary someday. As such, some of the cake.

And so, while you all had great experiences at BlogHer, I’m not really jealous this year (as I have been in years past). I will always strive to put my family first, even when swag sits on the other side of the fence. We had some great memories. Perhaps there will be a lack of 50th anniversary celebrations next year and I might get to attend. Maybe, by then, I will have convinced all of my local friends (instead of just the one) to become bloggers and we’ll take a fabulous weekend away. But, until then, I’ll cherish the week I just had with various members of my family.

I know, right? When I was telling my cousin why we were leaving camp a day and a half early, he jokingly said, “50 years? What’s that? Everyone celebrates that, especially nowadays!” I hope FireDad and I are surprised by a party on our 50th!

I was unable to go to BlogHer as well. We had a family event – an aunt had a surprise 60th birthday celebration. We enjoyed time with our family as well. It was better than anything else – especially since my daughter was able to go down the slide into a pool for the first time and my son made a new friend.

Disclaimers

Links may be affiliate links. All words are my own thoughts and/or experiences. This is a personal blog. Views expressed here are my own and do not represent any/all of my employers. Or my children. Or my husband.